The present invention relates generally to the fabrication of semiconductor devices, and more particularly to a patterning apparatus and technique.
Semiconductors are widely used for integrated circuits for electronic applications, including radios, televisions, and personal computing devices, as examples. Such integrated circuits typically include multiple transistors fabricated in single crystal silicon. It is common for there to be millions of semiconductor devices on a single semiconductor product. Many integrated circuits now include multiple levels of metallization for interconnections.
The fabrication of semiconductor devices involves depositing or forming metallization and dielectric layers, as well as active component layers. Each layer must be patterned with a desired pattern in order for the semiconductor devices to function properly. A patterning process typically involves depositing a photoresist that may comprise an organic polymer, for example, over a semiconductor wafer layer. The photoresist is exposed through a mask to transfer the pattern of the mask to the photoresist. Either exposed or unexposed portions of the photoresist are removed during subsequent development, depending on whether a positive or negative lithographic resist process is used. The photoresist portions remaining on the semiconductor wafer surface shield the top wafer surface during an etch process to leave the top semiconductor wafer layer residing in regions where photoresist remain.
A prior art apparatus 10 for patterning the surface of a semiconductor wafer 30 is shown in FIG. 1. A stage 12 is adapted to support a semiconductor wafer 30. The stage 12 is adapted to move the entire wafer 30 from position to position in order to expose portions of the wafer 30 surface during the patterning process. The stage 12 may be mounted on a base, not shown. The stage 12 is adapted to securely hold the wafer 30 in place. A lens 20 is disposed above the wafer 30. Lens 20 typically comprises a demagnification lens that reduces the image transferred to the wafer 30 by 4-5xc3x97, for example. Alternatively, no lens 20 may be required if a 1:1 ratio magnification scheme is used for transferring the pattern from the mask 18 to the wafer 30. A mask 18 having the desired pattern to be transferred to the wafer 30 is disposed above lens 20. A light source 16 is disposed above mask 18, as shown.
To pattern the wafer 30, the light source 16 which may comprise a laser, for example, is illuminated. The light passes through the mask 18, through demagnification lens 20, and exposes the top surface of the semiconductor wafer 30.
There are various types of exposure tools that function similar to the apparatus 10 described and illustrated in FIG. 1. In a step and repeat apparatus, the mask 18 pattern is transferred onto a section of the wafer 30 at a time, and a stage 12 moves the wafer 30 from point to point, exposing the wafer 30 surface in a plurality of steps.
An alternative apparatus used to pattern and expose a wafer 30 surface is known as a step and scan apparatus. Because the demagnification lens 20 is typically non-planar, the pattern of an image passed through the lens 20 may be distorted at the edges of the lens 20. A step and scan apparatus exposes the wafer 30 surface to a pattern through a fixed slit in a plate disposed between the light source and the lens 20. The mask 18 is moved at the same speed as the wafer 30 to expose and pattern the wafer 30 surface for 1:1 exposure, for example. Alternatively, the mask 18 may be moved at a different speed as the wafer 30, to correlate with the demagnification or magnification of the lens 20. For example, in the prior art, if a 4:1 demagnification lens is used, the mask 18 is moved at a speed 4 times faster than the wafer 30 is moved during the exposure process. Prior art step and scanners synchronize the scan speed of the mask 18 with the speed of the wafer 30 in accordance with the magnification of the lens.
FIG. 2 illustrates a top view of a mask 18 having transparent regions or holes 22 therein. A portion of a wafer 30 top surface is also shown, having much smaller dimensions than the mask 18 due to demagnification. Wafer regions 26 represent exposed portions of the semiconductor wafer 30 surface after patterning the wafer 30 using mask 18.
A problem with prior art patterning methods and apparatuses is that the islands 24 between the holes 22 in mask 18 are becoming smaller and smaller to meet the increased demands for miniaturization in semiconductor devices. As semiconductor devices are made smaller, it becomes more and more difficult to properly manufacture the devices. For example, holes 22 in mask 18 may represent an array of storage nodes of dynamic random access memory (DRAM) cells.
A mask 18 must be inspected for defects to insure that the proper pattern will be transferred to the wafer 30. The inspection dimensions have a lower limit, for example, on the order of 400 nanometers at the time of the filing of this patent. Typically, an optical microscope is used to inspect the mask in a die-to-die inspection or a die-to-database inspection, as examples. Therefore, the miniaturization of semiconductor devices is limited by the ability to inspect the patterning mask 18. Another problem is that different wavelengths of light are used to inspect the mask 18 than are used to expose a wafer 30, so not all mask 18 problems are detected, or are not accurately detected.
Furthermore, a transfer problem called line shortening may occur when the mask 18 pattern is transferred to the semiconductor wafer 30 surface. FIG. 2 shows shortened dimensions 32 alongside holes 26. Shortened dimensions 32 may actually be transferred to the wafer 30 surface rather than pattern size 26 due to the optics involved in transferring the exposure light through the mask 18 and lens 20. Essentially, the desired pattern 26 shrinks to an undesired smaller size represented by rectangle 32. This results in an increased size island 34 between rectangular patterns 32.
Another prior art solution to address line shortening is double exposure or micro-stepping, which decreases the throughput, e.g. increases the time required to process a wafer. A single exposure step process is preferred because alignment problems and overlay problems can be introduced with double exposure. However, certain semiconductor lithography patterns, such as DRAM deep trench cells, are not printable on size in a single exposure step with state of the art exposure and mask-making capabilities, because extreme biases are required in the long axis of the features. The extreme biases are needed to compensate for line shortening at the exposure step. The extreme biases result in islands on the mask 30 that are too small to be inspected.
What is needed in the art is a patterning method and apparatus that alleviates the mask inspection limitations and alignment problems, and compensates for line shortening, problematic in the prior art.
These problems are generally solved or circumvented by the present invention that achieves technical advantages as a method and apparatus for patterning the surface of a semiconductor wafer. A mask is moved at a different speed than the wafer in a ratio different than the magnification factor during the scanning process to achieve more accurate, smaller dimensions on a wafer surface.
Disclosed is a process for patterning a semiconductor wafer, comprising covering the surface of the wafer with a patterned mask, and transferring the mask pattern to the wafer surface at a particular magnification factor, wherein transferring the mask pattern comprises exposing portions of the wafer surface while moving the wafer horizontally at a first speed and simultaneously moving the mask horizontally at a second speed, the first and second speeds being different from one another, wherein the ratio of the first and second speeds is different from the magnification factor.
Also disclosed is a semiconductor wafer lithography process comprising providing a semiconductor wafer, the wafer comprising a photoresist disposed thereon, providing a mask with a desired pattern thereon, positioning the mask between the wafer and a light source, and transferring the mask pattern to the wafer surface at a particular magnification factor, wherein transferring the mask pattern comprises moving the wafer while simultaneously laterally moving the mask and while illuminating the light source, wherein the wafer lateral movement is at a first speed and the mask lateral movement is at a second speed, the first and second speeds being different, wherein the ratio of the first and second speeds is different from the magnification factor.
Further disclosed is an apparatus for patterning a semiconductor wafer, comprising a stage for supporting a semiconductor wafer to be patterned, a motor coupled to the stage adapted to move the stage and wafer horizontally at a first speed during patterning, a patterned mask disposed over the stage, and a motor coupled to the mask adapted to move the mask horizontally at a second speed simultaneously with the horizontal movement of the stage during patterning, the first and second speeds being different, the apparatus adapted to transfer the mask pattern to the wafer at a particular magnification factor, wherein the ratio of the first and second speeds is different from the magnification factor.
Advantages of the invention include overcoming the limitations in inspecting mask dimensions used for patterning semiconductor wafer surfaces. The first and second horizontal speeds of the mask and the wafer, respectively, may be varied to increase or decrease the size of the pattern on the wafer with relation to the pattern on the mask, without being correlated to the magnification factor. Line shortening is reduced, or may be compensated for by varying the horizontal speeds of the wafer and mask. The invention is easily implemented in current step and scan apparatuses that are already adapted to move the mask and wafer. The mask pitch may be relaxed, and the mask may be designed with a increased pitch in the X direction to coincide with the scan direction of the exposure tool, creating an artificially created difference in X magnification. Minimum islands between trenches can be increased by utilizing the present invention using current lens magnification in a single exposure step. Alignment and overlay problems are eliminated by patterning a wafer with a single exposure. A single exposure also results in increased throughput. The mask error enhancement factor (MEEF) may also be reduced. Another advantage is the ability to increase the island size between trench hole patterns on a mask, producing a mask having an island size that is inspectable.